


Not As Advertised

by Sophisticated_Adult



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dragon!Roy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophisticated_Adult/pseuds/Sophisticated_Adult
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ike ultimately wastes his time and Roy should really leave the planning to Marth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not As Advertised

**Author's Note:**

> (please feel free to squint and turn your head)

Ike grunted as he hauled himself over the ledge, bits of shale and loose scree clattering around him. He looked back, pleased at his progress up the treacherously loose rocks that littered the mountainside. The cave was said to be near the summit – if he pushed himself he could reach it before sundown, but he’d be in no state to face what waited for him. Ike’s plan was to get as close as he dared and spend the night on the mountainside to regain his strength. Luckily, this was a land of hot summers and mild winters, so the prospect of an overnight stay worried him less due to the weather and the elements and more at the thought of being found by his enemy.

Ike Greil was hunting a dragon.

By now it was common knowledge that Prince Marth of Altea, due to be wed in six months, had been kidnapped. While there were no witnesses to the event itself, a dragon had been seen heading south-east from Altea to the mountains on Pherae’s border. Ike’s inquiries with the locals (generally more sympathetic to the great lizards than Altea, land of the dragon-killers) led to a similar description of a smallish, red-and-gold dragon that ‘don’t bother nobody,’ one old innkeeper had fiercely insisted.

All Ike was doing was investigating for any signs of the wayward prince and looking forward to the handsome reward promised for his return. A fight with the creature was the last thing he wanted, but there was no real way to cross it off as a possibility.

At least the climb wasn’t as bad as it could be – it was hard going, but there was no snow in Pherae’s warm climate and there were much higher, nastier peaks further into the mountain range. This was, really, relatively accessible. Poor planning on the dragon’s part, he mused. Surely it would _know_ how valuable its royal prize was.

Shaking himself from his reverie, Ike looked around to gauge his next move. It was still a few hours to sundown, he could go a bit further yet. There were great jumbles of rocks on either side, but it looked like there was an easier path to his left that lead to another ledge that looked fairly easy to haul himself up by – at least as opposed to any other options, which were just great rockfields leading to sudden drops or sheer walls that were so high he didn’t trust himself with his lack of climbing experience to tackle

Taking the easier option, Ike picked his way across the brown and grey landscape. He’d neither seen or heard any sign of a dragon, but the locals were adamant at its existence and equally adamant that it was harmless, if not benevolent, and any trouble he came to on the mountain was ‘his own fool fault’ (the innkeeper again).

He reached the second ledge and there were plenty of footholds on the shelf of rock leading up to it. Ike put his thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand - up, check, pull; up, check, pull. He was so absorbed that it was quite startling to hear a sudden voice, although he showed no outward reaction.

“Need a hand?”

Ike paused and glanced up, silently thankful the sun was behind him. A young man with fiery red hair was squatting at the top of the ledge, smiling in a way that was very nearly condescending. A hand was outstretched, inviting.

Ike ignored it.

“Well, suit yourself.”

The youth watched with interest as Ike continued his ascent and scooted backwards when the mercenary pulled himself over the edge of the top.

“What are you doing here?” Ike asked, glaring. Honestly, if he had to abandon his mission to help this – this _boy_ out, he was going to charge double. “It’s dangerous up here.”

“Eh, it’s not that bad if you know what you’re doing.” The redhead settled himself into a cross-legged position, Ike not liking the implication that he was going to be stuck here and slowed down thanks to this kid. “What’s your name?” The boy asked, looking at him with clear interest in his sky-blue eyes.

“Grey.” Ike didn’t feel like giving this kid anything. He knew he wasn’t the most sociable person, but a strong dislike had quickly settled in for this blithely flippant redhead.

“Cool. I won’t even play along and say my name’s Red - you should really be Blue, by the way, not Grey. Anyway, I’m Roy. Nice to meetcha.” A hand was held out.

“I’m busy.” Ike shouldered his pack for emphasis. “I don’t have time to stick around, Roy. If you can get down off this mountain you should. If you can’t, wait here and I’ll come back to help once I’m done at the summit.”

“You sure?” Roy pouted. “Fine, I’ll wait. No worries.” He seemed awfully calm for someone stuck at the top of a dragon-inhabited mountain unable to get down under his own power.

Ike nearly groaned when he realised what an idiot he was being. What other explanation was there other than that this Roy was another of the dragon’s victims?

“Roy,” Ike asked slowly, careful not to let his newly-acquired dislike show. “Do you know anything about a cave near the summit?”

“Sure!” The boy’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Let me tell you, though? Way overhyped by the tourists. Hardly any treasure at all. Ask the locals, they know what’s up.”

“I did ask. They declined to say anything about treasure. Have you seen any?”

“Just the one.”

_One what?_ Ike’s thoughts were in a whirl at Roy’s strange, evasive behaviour. _One prince? Is he trying to protect the dragon?_

“Could you show me the way?”

“You’re lucky I like you, Grey,” Roy chuckled. “Sure.”

Ike followed at a short distance, hand ready on Ragnell’s hilt. Roy led him on a steadily inclining path around the mountain, avoiding some spots that looked to Ike to be a good path to take to the top. Eventually they came to another sheer wall, far too high to risk climbing, and even if it were otherwise it didn’t look like it had as many reliable handholds as the others Ike had climbed today.

“What’s this?” Ike asked, staring upwards. Yeah, there was no _way_ this was happening.

“Quickest route,” Roy replied, smacking the rock for emphasis. “’S usually how I get up and down, anyway. Oh! I guess it’s easier if you have wings.”

Ike froze, completely unsure, at this point, how to take that last statement. Roy chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I’ve been a bit of a jerk about this. I’m the dragon you’re looking for. But trust me – whoa!” Roy backed off, stumbling a bit against the rock wall as Ragnell flashed in the dying sun to point straight at his neck. “Easy there! I was gonna say – there’s no getting up there without me, Grey. I’m not _completely stupid_.”

“Where’s Prince Marth?” Ike snarled, crowding into personal space. He was at least a head taller than Roy, who seemed remarkably calm about the whole thing, which only pissed off Ike further.

“He’s fine. Probably worrying himself over where I’ve got to – boy, I could have handled this better.” This last part was said with a long, obvious look up and down the great blade at his throat.

“Probably,” Ike agreed, applying the slightest pressure to where Ragnell rested on the boy – _dragon_ ’s – neck _._ It’s eyes flicked down to acknowledge it, then went straight back to gazing into Ike’s.

“You want a ride up or not? You’re not helping anyone if you go through with this. You’ll be stuck at the bottom and he’ll be stuck at the top.”

There was probably no other choice – and the dragon had confirmed it was the one who had the prince. And it was going to take him straight to him! All Ike had to do was get them both down safely.

“You want another prisoner? Fine, take me up.” Ike eased up slightly, still poised to strike if needed. He remembered the _you’re lucky I like you_ from earlier, the hungry interest. This was apparently a dragon that treasured people.

“Ugh. He’s never going to let me forget this. Alright, stand back.”

One slightly terrifying trip later – it would take a while to forget the sheer power in those muscles, the _whump_ - _whump_ of displaced air at each wingbeat – Ike slid gratefully off the scaly back. The dragon glowed a bright white like before, and when it faded the beast had returned to its human form.

The worst part was Ike thought he could easily overpower Roy, who was shorter and skinnier and lacked an obvious weapon, but at this point in time it wasn’t a good idea to threaten him unless Ike wanted to take the _really quick_ way down the mountain cliff.

“Yo, I’m back,” Roy called out cheerily. “I brought company.”

“Please tell me this one isn’t trying to kill you too.”

That refined, elegant voice – if the Altean accent didn’t give it away, the detailed description of the prince Ike had received matched perfectly.

“Nah, I think he’s more the rescuing type than dragon-slayer. He’d have stabbed me when he had the chance if he really wanted me dead. Right, Grey?”

Ike tried to glare at the smiling dragon and watch the cave’s other occupant at the same time.

Prince Marth of Altea rose from a small fire he had been attending, swept Ike over with one calculating look, marched over to them, and pulled Roy into a hug. The dragon was short enough as a human that Marth could look straight at the shocked mercenary as he did so.

“I don’t,” Marth said sternly, summoning the full force of his royal heritage into his voice, “need rescuing.”

“Tell that to them,” Roy chuckled. He broke the hug and turned to face Ike, who noted that their hands were clasped together. “Seriously, though, Marth needed a vacation. He’ll come down when he wants to, probably.”

“I _said_ you should have let me come up with the plan,” Marth complained. “You were _sloppy_ , Roy. This is the third one.”

“He followed me home.”

“You’re not keeping him.”

“Aww, you’re no fun.”

Ike had the distinct impression that Marth’s glare was not out of concern for his safety. Was there a…possessiveness there…over a _dragon?_

“I apologise for this – _misunderstanding,_ Mr. -?”

“Greil.” Ike was floundering so much in this bizarre situation that he completely forgot he’d given a false name earlier.

“Nice,” said Roy. “I get it.”

That night was the most awkward dinner Ike had ever experienced, and he was downright glad to get off the mountain in the morning, sans one Altean prince. As he stood in the dawning sunlight, firmly not looking back at the shadow ascending the mountain, he quietly resolved to never, ever speak of this again.

His eyebrow did, however, tend to twitch whenever the subject of dragons came up.

**Author's Note:**

> hey guess who found out that dragon!Roy is really, really amazing recently, it was me and I need all of it thank you


End file.
